


Humans and Machines

by Katrina



Series: 31 Days [7]
Category: One Piece
Genre: 4-1-19, Community: 31_days, Community: story_arc, Cyberpunk AU, Gen, See this handful of birds I release on the church steps? I do this to remind you, aus are my thing, ten 04: balance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 08:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17301176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katrina/pseuds/Katrina
Summary: Law is more human than not. And discovers that Cora is less human than he thought.





	Humans and Machines

**Author's Note:**

> For 31 days on dreamwidth  
> 4-1-19: See this handful of birds I release on the church steps? I do this to remind you  
> and  
> For story_arc on dreamwidth  
> Prompt set 10-04, balance

Another hospital. Another failure. Another group of angry people. 

Law was tired of it, as he watched Corazon fight off the minor mob. They didn’t want a monster in their midst, and Law understood that. He didn’t want to be here, either. But Corazon kept dragging him to places, hoping to find a cure for Law’s sickness. 

Law was honestly just tired of it all. He hurt, aching and feverish all the time as Amber Lead ravaged his system. Sometimes, he wanted to shut his eyes and let go, let the world fall away and not wake up. Even now, he shut his eyes, as the sounds of fighting died down, and rested his head against the doorframe he sat in. 

A few moments later, a cool hand touched his cheek. 

It wasn’t just cool because of Law’s fever, and the teen looked up at Corazon. The blond man looked concerned, but it cleared up some as Law moved. The man smiled down at him. “Well, got them away, so let’s get going.”

For a long moment, Law couldn’t bring himself to move. He wanted to sleep. 

Then the choice was taken from him as Corazon picked him up with gentle hands. He carefully settled Law again his own chest. For a moment, Law thought about fighting him, but he was tired. Instead, he rested his head against Corazon. 

Under his ear, there was the odd thump of the man’s heart. Law wondered if Corazon was ever going to admit that he was enhanced in some way. The fact he had been was all too easy to hear in that odd pattern of thumps. Not a regular heartbeat in the least. 

It wasn’t like Law could hate all cyborgs or people with enhancements. There was too many of them. He reserved his hate for the World Government, who knew what they were doing when they let Flevance die. 

Amber lead had been vital to first generation cybernetics. The material was part of the liquid ‘blood’ that circulated through the machinery. By the time it reached that stage, it was purified and cleaned. Safe for those using it. 

Not so much for those who pulled it out of the ground. The World Government knew it, too. 

Corazon knew Law’s history. Law had overheard Doffy talking to his silent brother about it once, with soft scribbles from Corazon when he had written his answers back. The man knew, and Law wasn’t surprised that he was hiding the fact he had his own enhancements. 

To be fair, Law was more concerned that the man was a Marine. A member of the government that Law hated more than anything. But he kept insisting he wasn’t, and while Law thought he was lying, he let it go. There were too many other things to keep his attention. 

“Hey, Law.” 

Corazon’s voice was soft, and Law realized he had slipped into a half-doze, being carrying like he was. “Can you wake up for me for a second?”

“’m awake,” Law protested, opening heavy eyes. Sleep did sound good, but he forced himself awake, looking up at the man holding him. Corazon was looking down at him, with soft eyes and a small smile. 

“Come on. Moving you a second.” Law found himself being rearranged with a bit of a squawk, and ended up perched on Corazon’s shoulders. It did seem like he could see forever from this height. Both of the brothers had been tall. Unusually so for the area, but still.... Law had never realized how tall Corazon was. 

He was looking over a square, with a small church to one side and a mass of birds. Wasn’t sure why Corazon had moved him like this until the grip on his legs changed, firmed up, and then the tall man was running. 

Yelping, Law grabbed a hold of shaggy blond hair and held on. Yes, it probably did hurt, but that’s what Corazon got for not warning Law. Then they were in the middle of the birds. 

They were cooing and taking to the air, a thunder of wings all around them. For a moment, Law was lost in all the sound as some of the birds came close enough for their feathers to brush his coat as they flew for safety. Before he could demand an answer, Corazon laughed. 

“That’s going to be you one day, Law! You are going to be healthy and free, able to do whatever you want!”

There was determination and joy in Corazon’s voice, and Law looked up at the flock of birds, wheeling and scattering through the sky. 

To be free. 

It was a good goal. One he wasn’t likely to live to see, but, for this man here, Law thought he might try.

***

There was a crow cawing in the distance.

Law stumbled on, aching, in pain, and determined to get as far away from Doflamingo as possible. With every step, he actually felt himself getting better. The grinding ache that had been Amber Lead was fading with every step. Whatever experimental nanotech it was that Cora-san had found was doing it. It was healing Law.

Cora-san had promised that Law would live, and had been willing to die to prove it. 

Law choked on a silent sob. Had to be quiet, or else the others might realize he was close. Not that he was too worried. Could hear the fighting going on between Doflamingo’s crew and the Marines, so he had time. 

Time to do what, he wasn’t sure. 

Common sense said to run. He could escape, there was time for that. With the two most dangerous parties keeping each other distracted, one small boy should be able to slip away without being noticed. 

His heart, however, told him to see Cora-san one last time. The man who had given everything so that Law could live. Cora-san deserved to have that honored by a last visit. Even if Law knew that the man would shake him silly for doing something so risky. 

Besides, he knew that the man was enhanced. Maybe, -maybe-, there was a chance that he might be alive still. 

A pair of crows flew over, calling out to each other as they fled the noise of battle. 

Taking it as a sign, Law altered his path and trudged onwards. 

The blood look vibrant where it soaked into snow. Still brilliantly red, pooled around a dark feathered form. Once he spotted the man, Law had found himself slowing. Didn’t want to see his.... His Cora-san dead. 

But determination carried him forward, and he looked at the mangled mess of the man’s chest. It was soaked red, though it was already starting to darken on the shirt. It stained everything, the blood, and Law couldn’t help the hiccuping sob that escaped him.

Kneeling next to Cora-san’s body, Law curled down and pressed his forehead against the man’s chest. 

After a moment, Law heard that odd little thumb that was his heartbeat.

Rearing back, he stared for a moment. Then he scrambled at the shirt, shredding the already destroyed fabric to look. 

Without the layer of clothing over it, Cora-san’s chest looked even worse. But Law could see that he was breathing, somehow, and he felt himself tearing up again. He forced himself to stop, rubbing his eyes. 

“Come on, Cora-san,” the teen muttered as he examined the injuries. “You have to get up. We got to go.” He examined the injuries, seeing how bad they might be. And he discovered that under a thin layer of skin and muscles, there was only metal and wires. It was sparking and he could see parts misfire even as he was looking down at it. 

Law had known that Cora-san was enhanced, but he didn't see any sign of human organs under the layer of metal. He frowned, because that made no sense. But that was for later, instead, Law focused on the damage.

Even being enhanced, the bullets had torn up his insides, and Law grimaced. He wasn’t sure what to do, and reached down to poke at the injuries. So many injuries, for him....

There was a swirl of dark marks that formed on his fingers. Before Law could even react, the marks moved to the fingertips, then slipped off onto Cora's chest.

Law stared, and then there was a jolt from Cora-san. The man opened his eyes, gasping in pain. Eyes darting around wildly as he tried to figure out what was going on. The eyes landed on Law after a moment, and there was a moment of quiet. 

“Law,” he groaned, a hand coming up to press against his chest. There was a weird, wheezing quality to his words, but Cora-san was obviously focused on Law. “Need to go.”

There was a scowl from Law. “Come on, Cora-san,” he repeated. “I know we got to go.” Because Law was -not- leaving with the other man. 

For a long moment, too long, Cora-san’s eyes shut again, his breathing slowing. Law felt himself tensing, ready to reject this loss. He couldn’t lose another person he loved. Not like this. 

With the sound of something grinding and a sound of pain from Cora-san, the man pushed himself upright. He paused, then finished moving to try standing up. Law did what he could to help, but there was only so much that he could do. 

“Come on,” he encouraged once more, voice desperate. His own vision was getting a little hazy, but Law ignored it. His body was being repaired by the tech Cora-san forced on him, but Law was aware he was going to be in recovery for a while. 

Then Cora-san was on his feet, and he was mostly stable. “Think you are going to have to walk,” the man said, giving Law a weak smile. Blood still smeared his face, and that missing tooth gave it a bit of a ragged look, but it was a smile. 

Law smiled back. 

“I can walk.” He looked up as another pair of crows, or possibly even the same pair, flew overhead again. 

“Hey, Law,” Cora-san said, voice soft, looking up at the birds as well. “We’re both free.”

His voice was bubbly, and there some something off with it, but Law didn’t care. He could only smile back at the other, almost happy.

They were both free, and started walking to the sound of birds calls.


End file.
